Deborah N. Archer

Deborah N. Archer is Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, the Margaret B. Hoppin Professor of Law, and Faculty Director of the Community Equity Initiative. Deborah is also the President of the ACLU, the first person of color to serve in that role in the organization’s history, and a nationally recognized expert on civil liberties, civil rights, and racial justice. Deborah is an award-winning teacher and legal scholar whose articles have appeared in leading law reviews and national publications, and she has offered commentary for national and international media. Prior to full-time teaching, Deborah worked as an attorney with the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., where she litigated in the areas of voting rights, employment discrimination, educational equity, and school desegregation. Deborah also previously served as Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the nation’s oldest and largest police oversight agency. Deborah has won many awards and is also the author of the national best-selling book Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality.